Maine Natural Gas Expansion Funding Restored

It looks like the Town of Maine will be getting its full gas money from Broome County.

The Town had asked for a grant to help fund extending New York State Electric and Gas natural gas service to part of Route 26 in in the Hamlet of Maine.

The Town wanted $60,000 from the Small Communities Fund to help pay for the 12,000 foot extension from between Shadowbrook Road and Maine Memorial School but $20,000 of that had apparently been cut from the proposal on its way from the Hotel/ Motel Committee to the final vote.

August 16, The Broome County Legislature voted to amend the application, restoring the $20,000 that had been cut, reportedly without the Town’s knowledge, by having the school district provide $10,000 and the county restoring the rest.

Legislators Matt Pasquale and Greg Baldwin, both of the Town of Maine, voted to restore the funding that they says will allow customers to hook to the system at a lower cost than would have been possible had the funding not been restored.

Supporters of the gas line expansion said the project would help the Maine Endwell School District as well as current and possible future business development along the route.